A recent survey by Liberty Insurance has shown some interesting facts about Irish homeowners and their security habits. The study carried out by Millward Brown on behalf of Liberty Insurance shows that a huge number of homeowners in Ireland have a very lax attitude to home security.

Some of the most telling facts and numbers to come from the survey are:

47% of people don’t have a house alarm – with only 1 in 3 who do using it regularly

23% of Dublin homeowners are likely to leave doors unlocked

22% of people rely on neighbours to watch their home

17% of people don’t lock their front door

1 in 3 people feel relaxed leaving their home unattended

With most burglaries being opportunistic crimes as opposed to planned crimes, the figures above are a stark reminder that home security should be paramount in homeowners minds, but often this is obviously not the case. With this in mind the simple 3-word message which can help you keep your home secure is:
CHECK – LOCK – LEAVE.

To keep your valuables completely safe & secure renting a safe deposit box is also a good idea. At Merrion Vaults you can rent your own private safe deposit box with access 7 days a week from less than €4 per week.
Call Merrion Vaults today on: (01) 254 7900 or go to www.MerrionVaults.ie

If you have valuables or irreplaceable items you need to keep safe and secure, what is the best option for you? Whether it’s cash, jewellery, gold bullion or just important paperwork you need to keep safe, there are a number of things you should consider when deciding between a home safe or a safe deposit box.

1. A Safe Deposit Box is better value. A small, mid-range home safe will cost approx. €1,100-€1,800 (before fitting costs) – whereas a safe deposit box starts at only €199 per year – giving you over 5 years total safety and security, with 7 day access for less than the cost of the home safe.

2. A Safe Deposit Box will offer better protection from fire. The aforementioned home safe would have a fire rating of Grade 1, this will only offer protection from fire for 30 minutes whereas the safe deposit box in this instance is in a Grade 8 vault, offering a hugely increased fire and security rating.

3. A Safe Deposit box offers much more protection from thieves. People believe they can ‘hide’ their home safe from thieves and burglars. The latest research and expertise from the police proves this is rarely the case. Burglars are now breaking into homes complete with handheld metal detectors (easily available to buy online) – they can then ‘sweep’ the entire property in 5-10mins and will almost always find the ‘hidden’ safe. Thieves will then cause major destruction to property in removing these home safes. It is also worth bearing in mind that if they cannot remove the safe, they may then wait until such time as the homeowner or family is actually in the home, to return and under use or threat of violence make the homeowner comply with their demands to open the safe.

4. Home Safes are notoriously easy to ‘crack’ open. All one has to do is watch an episode of ‘Storage Wars’ on TV, or many other similar TV shows, to see just how easy it is to open a home safe. Alternatively, a quick google search of ‘how to crack a home safe’ returns findings of over 7 million results! (a lot with videos). Safe Deposit Boxes however, are housed within a secure vault, which is practically impossible to open.

5. You can save money on home insurance with the use of a Safe Deposit Box. If you have a home safe, your valuables will still be included in your home insurance – which means you will still be paying for their cover – especially if they are ‘specified items’. When you rent a safe deposit box you can remove these ‘specified items’ from your home insurance policy therefore lowering your premium.

While there are many more advantages to having a safe deposit box over a home safe, it is worth pointing out that any additional security measures you take with your valuables at home will normally be justified. For more information on renting your own private safe deposit box contact: www.merrionvaults.ie or call: (01) 254 7900.

With the evenings getting darker earlier coming into winter, historically home burglaries and break-ins rise in numbers.There are some simple steps we can all take to deter the burglar and make life difficult for them.